With Homecoming less than a week away, I'd like to share with you a few thoughts about how God has been using our class to make a difference in the world. It seems like everyone I talk to from our class has a unique testimony of service to tell. Parenting, volunteering, advocating, and serving in our communities, it's amazing to me how God is using each of us to reach a world in need. I feel so honored to be your Class Agent, to help us stay connected and involved with Westmont, and to share with you the ongoing story of the Class of 2003!

Below are two such stories from our classmates. Thank you to Rachel (Wright) Parker and Jessica (Bocaletti) Mendies for sharing their stories with the rest of us. Please let me know if you would like to be included in a future newsletter.

Rachel (Wright) Parker '03 & Kevin Parker

Since graduating from Westmont in 2003, I went to Point Loma Nazarene University for two years to get my Master's degree in Education, with an emphasis in Counseling and Guidance. I have been able to work for a variety of schools as a counselor, including elementary schools, middle schools and an alternative high school. After meeting my husband (Kevin) and getting married, we moved to the Bay Area and are now living in Redwood City, CA. My husband is a video editor at Lucasfilm, his dream job, and I am taking time off to stay at home and take care of our little boy, Casey, who was born in November of 2009. We are attending Peninsula Covenant Church and love it there! God has been so good to us!

David Mendies '02 & Jessica (Bocaletti) Mendies '03

Since leaving Westmont, our lives have been filled with traveling to and from Portland and South Asia, and with having babies! Our first two boys, Gabriel and Raphael were born in New Delhi, India, and our third son was born in Nepal. Davidís grandmother passed away and we moved from Portland to Nepal to look after Mendies Haven, her home where she raised orphaned and abandoned children. We have been raising our three boys in Nepal, along side thirty-two children at Mendies Haven (www.mendieshaven.org), for two years now. We are also expecting our fourth baby this January.

There is never a dull moment at Mendies Haven, if you can imagine our youngest (our son Kaiu) at 2 years of age, our oldest two going to city college at 18 years of age, and 30 some kids of all ages in between to care for and fulfill their needs. As the legacy of Mummy Mendies carries on in our heart of hearts, our desire for our home is not merely to feed, educate, and send off, but to train up our children in the ways of our LORD, taking each day as a small stepping stone, with love, towards the hope of their future as leaders in their community and beyond.

My husband and I, both Westmont Alums, are grateful for the precious time spent at Westmont as we became well-equipped, prepared mentally and spiritually, for what we believe has been a calling from God on our life.

Homecoming 2010 is October 1 & 2

All paths lead to Westmont for Homecoming Weekend. The schedule and registration details are online at westmont.edu/homecoming2010. RSVP by September 24 and save $10.

Facebook for 2003

You may already be a member of our group called "Westmont College Class of 2003," but in case you aren't, here's the link.

Voskuyl Library has been transformed!

Students are grateful for the newly renovated Voskuyl Library. Thank you for your generous support during our Class Challenge!Read more...

Fall 2010: Adams Center and Winter Hall are finished and open for class

After nearly 2 years of construction, Adams Center and Winter Hall are now complete. Together they offer nearly 80,000 square feet of new space for students and professors. Read More...

Westmont Impact tells the story of us!

Why is the world different because Westmont College exists? For the answer go to westmontimpact.org.